Wheel flange oiler



Get. 4, 1932.

s. E. BATES ET AL 1580 672 WHEEL FLANGE OILER Filed June 14. 1930 I5 Sheets-Sheet l L ITIJQREE @ldggffia/s and mmwzs fizrmzbr 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 4, 1932. s. E. BATES .ET AL WHEEL FLANGE OILER Filed June 14. 1930 V "IIn H" M an? my i I 15/ l [A i mn and dfza'ne mumps (V orngy (let. 4, 1932. s. E. BATES ET AL WHEEL FLANGE OILER Filed June 14. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet a Inflenkwm imam?" @Mrmzbr Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED sTArss PA EN rice g SIDNEY n. BATES AND EMMONS ovnamnn, F cHIcAeo, ILLI1v0Is,'AssIeru0nsJ To MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT COMPANY, or cnrcAeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIQN or ILLINOIS WHEEL FLANGE OILER Application filed June 14, 1930. Serial No. 461,160.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wheel flange oilers, and more particularly to an improved device for conducting lubricant to and distributing it on the inner faces of the car wheel flanges, and the adjacent surface of the rail head.

-Numerous devices have heretofore been known for lubricating the engaging inner faces of wheel flanges and rails, particularly 0 adj acent curves where centrifugal force causes an enormous lateral thrust of the wheel flanges against the rail, and the wear of these engaging parts is considerable unless they are properly lubricated. i

'Any approved means may be used for forcing oil or 'otherlubricant from a reservoir or other source of supply to the distribution points, in the example here shown a pumping mechanism beingutilized which is actuated by the car wheels as they roll along the rail. The present invention relates especially to an improved means for conducting this lubricant to a plurality of spaced distribution points adjacent the side of the rail head, and there expelling the lubricant against the inner surface-of the wheel flange. A plurality of flexible pockets are provided, one at each distributionpoint, the lubricant being forced into these pockets by the pumping mechanism, and each pocket having an outlet in its upper front portion through which the lubricant will be expelled as the pocket is compressed by the engagement therewith of the carwheel flange.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved lubricant distributing means of the type briefly referred to herein above and disclosed more in detail in the specifications which follow.

Another object is to provide an improved form of flexible'pocket for distributing lubricant to car wheel flanges.

Another 'ob 'ect isto provide an improved form of distributing plate for coi'iducting the lubricant to the several flexible pockets.

7 Another object is to provide an improved form of guard plate for protecting the pockets and for simultaneously serving as a wipon the wheel flanges. V A

ing means to further distribute the lubricant Other objects andadvantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of certain approved forms of mechanism involving the principles of this invention. i

In the accompanying drawingsi Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus assembled on the rail and adjacent thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sideelevationof the distributing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation of a portion of {he distributing mechanism on a larger sea e. k

Fig. 4; isa transverse vertical section, on a larger scale taken substantially on the line 4 4. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial horizontal section, on a larger scale, taken substantially on the line 5-5-of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective rear view of the distributing plate. v

Fig. 7 is a partial front perspective of this distributing plate. r

Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof one of the lubricant pockets partially broken away.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the thimble or supporting means for the pockets. 7

Fig. 10 is a partial elevation, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of distribut ing plate.

Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical section, taken substantially on the line 1'1 '-11 of Fig. 10, butona larger scale.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the distributing plate shown in Figs. 10 and'll. V

Referring first to Fig. 1 the housing indicated at l is mounted in the roadbed adj acent thetrackway and contains a-reservoir for oil or other lubricant and a pumping mechanism which is actuated through flexible shaft 2 from a treadle' mechanism indicated generally at 3 which is positioned adjacent the outer side of the rail 4. A portion of the mechanism indicated at 3'is depressed by the tread of a car wheel as it rolls along the rail 4, so as to impart-through a pawl and ratchet device a partial rotation to the flexible shaft 2, which in turn operates the pumping mechanism'located in housing 1 to force oil or 5 scribed,' is disclosed more in detail and claimed in the copending application of Bates and Overmier, Serial No. 397,413, filed October 4, 1929. It is to be understood that this portion of the lubricating mechanism is herein shown by way of'example, and that any other suitable means might be used for supplying aflow of lubricant to the distributing mechanism hereinafter described.

Referring now'to Fig. 2, it will be noted i I that two similar distributing mechanisms A and B are here used, these mechanisms being positionedend toend as indicated at C, and the left-hand portion of mechanism B being partially broken away. Each of the distributing mechanisms A and B consists of four of thefiexible units or pockets hereinafter described,

together with the distributing plate forfur' nishing lubricant thereto.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive, a main distributing plate 8 is shaped at its upper andlower edg'es 9 and 10 respectively to fit between the head 11 and base flange 12 of the rail 4, with the outer face of the distributing plate substantially in vertical alignment with the, inner side of the rail head 11. A rear closure plate 13 is adapted to fit between the rail head and base flange behind the main distributing plate 8 and serve as a rear wall or closure for the lubricant conduits or passages which are formed in the rear face of plate 8,.as best shown in Fig. 6. An upper longitudinally extending conduit 14 is connected at its center by vertically extending .conduit'15 with the lubricant inlet 16 which extends through plate 8 and also through closure plate 13 and connects with the inlet conduit ;6' extending through the web 7 of the rail. Four similar outlet openings 17 are formed at equal'in-I tervals throughout the length of plate 8;

Two similar lower conduits. 18 are-eachconnected at their central portion by a vertically extending conduit 19 with one end of'upper conduit 14, and the respective end portions of each lower conduit 18 areiconnected by branch conduits 20 with two of the-outlets 17. It will be noted that these conduits are so formed and positioned that the length andsize of the passage from inlet 16 to each of the several outlets 17 is the same, sothat. the resistance to the flow of lubricant will'be equalized between all of the outlets and an equal distribution of the lubricant obtained. The plates Sand 13 are secured in placebya plurality of bolts 21 which pass through the plates and the web 7 of the rail and also through one or i more filler plates '22 positioned at the opposite side of the rail. These plates 22 may comprise part of the supporting mechanism for the pump-operating device 3, hereinabove referred to. a Each of the flexible distributing pockets comprises a pair of similar wall members 23 and 24 of leather or other suitable flexible material, these walls being sewnor otherwise joined together around the greater portion of their peripheries, as indicated at 25; In the example here shown, the upper portion 26 of front wall 24is partially cut away so that the rear wall 23 extends'thereabove as indicated at 27 and the portions 26 and 27 are unconnecte'd so as to provide an outlet opening or slit through I which the lubricant may be forced from the pocket 27 formed between the rear andfront walls 23 'and,24. It is to be understood that other forms of lubricant outlets could be provided. For example the twowalls could be sewn together around their entire peripheries and a suitable slit or slot provided. i

A metallic thimble or supporting device 28 comprises a tubular portion 29 adapted to I fit into one ofthe outlet openings 17 in distributing plate 8 and to extend through a similar opening in the rear wall 23 of the flexible pocket. A supporting plate 30 of general oval or elliptical shape is formed integrally on the outer surface of tubular member 29. and a similar plate 31 is adapted to be fitted over the inner end of'tube 29 and the two plates 30 and 31 secured against the opposite faces of'flexible wall 23'by means ofa plurality of rivets or other securing devices 32. A passage 32 extends upthrough plate 31 to conduct thelubricant from conduit 29to the upper chamber 27 in the flexible pocket.

'Bolt openings 33 are formed through the two opposite-end portions of supporting plates 30 and 31 ,and also through the two flexible walls 23 and 24,-and screw bolts34 are adapted to be fastened through these openings 33 and secured in the distributing plate 8 sons to secure thepocket in place. lVhe-n so positioned, the upper portions of the flexible pocketwill extend up adjacent the inner. side of the rail head 11 so as to projectbetween the rail head and the car wheel flange as a wheelrolls along the rail as indicated for example in dotted lines in Fig. 4. i It is preferable that the upper portion of the pocket shall project lit away from the rail sufliciently'so that it will compress the pockets so as to project the lubricant from the pockets at the most desirable'time that iswhen a flange isin proper position to receive the lubricant;

In the form of the invention shown in Figs..

1- to 4 inclusive, azguardplate 35 is mounted against" the outer face of distributing plate 8. This guard plate may be held in position by extending the bolts 21 therethrough as shown in the drawings. This plate 35 is preferably of slightly greater thickness than the lower portions of the flexible pockets, and is cut away at 36 so as to inclose eachof these flexible pocket members. The upper edge portion 37 of the guard plate is beveled inwardly and upwardly so as to substantially conform to the inner surface of the car wheel flange and serve as a wiping means for further distributing the lubricant that has been pro jected onto the wheel flange by means of the several flexible pockets. The upper portions of the distributing pockets will extend out through the upper portions of the openings 86 in the guard plate so as to be in the path of and engageable by the car wheel flange, but the guard plate serves to protect the lower portions of the pockets and also to hold the wheel flange out to such a position that it will not engage the upper portions of the pockets in such a manner as to tear them from their anchorage. I

A somewhat modified form of distributing plate is shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12. Instead of employing the distributing plate 8 and closure plate 13, with the lubricana-conduits out in the rear face of plate '8, a single dis tributing plate 88 is used with the conduit passages 39 cast therein. In order to economize on weight and metal and facilitate the engagement of the distributing plate with the rail excess portions of the plate are omitted and it is provided wlth upwardly extending 111 s 4-0 and downwardl extendin lu s 41 .7 b b 3 wheel-flanges that are to be adapted to engage with the rail head 11 and base'flange 12 respectively. Holes 42 are provided for the bolts 21 for securing the distributing plate to the web? ofthe rail. The inlet tube 6 is secured in the inlet opening as in the first described form of the invention,

and the several flexible distributing pockets are of the same form and secured in place in the same manner as in the first described form of the invention. As shown in Figs. l1

and 12, the guard plate is not used, al-

' though it might-be adapted for use with this form of the invention. In case the guard plate is not used, a guard rail should be positioned so as to engage the wheels at the on posite side of the trackway and keep the lubricated in properly spaced relation to the adjacent railhead so as to avoid damage to the flexible pockets.

It will now be apparent that as a train proceeds along'the trackway, the treadof each Wheel will engage the mechanism 3 and impart a partial rotation to the pumping gage the pockets and compress the same, the

lubricant will besqueezed out into engagement with the wheel flange and carried away thereon. When the guard plate 35 is used,

the portions 37 thereof will act as wipers to engage the wheel flanges and distribute the lubricant around the periphery thereof. It

is to'be understood that this lubricating mecl1-' This lubricant will anism will be located somewhat in advance of a curve in the track so that the lubricant is distributed on the wheel flanges before the curve is reached and will-serve to lubricate the engaging surfaces of the wheel flanges and the rail head 11 as the vehicle rounds the curve. It is to be-understood that the number of these distributing units used in each installation can be varied as the requirements of that particular situation necessitate. We claim: u

1. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a lubricant-holding pocket" adapted to be p0- sitioned at the side ofthe rail-head in the path of a car wheel flange, said pocket having an inlet through which lubricant is supplied thereto and an upper outlet directed between the rail-head and wheel-flange, the walls of the pocket being compressible toward one another when engaged by the wheel-flange to decrease the capacity of the pocket and eject lubricant through the outlet.

2. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism.

a yieldable pocket adapted to be positioned at the side of the rail-head in the path of a car wheel flange said pocket u and rear walls of flexible material joined at their edges, an outlet for the lubricant formed in the upper portion of the front wall, and means sealed into a lower portion of the pocket for supporting the pocket, said means comprising aconduit through which lubri cant is delivered into the pocket. 7

3. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a yieldable pocket adapted to be positioned at the side of the rail-head in the path of a car wheel flange said pocket comprising front and rear walls of flexible material joined at their edges, a metallic inlet conduit sealed in the rear wall and adapted to support the in theupper portion of the front wall. a

4.111 wheel flange lubricating mechanism,

comprismg front pocket, and an outlet for the lubricant formed car wheel flange, said pocket comprising front and rear leather walls secured together at their edges, there being an inlet for lubricant in the lower portion. of thepocket and. an outlet in the upper portion of the front wall.

. 5. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a yieldable pocket adapted to be positioned at the side of the rail-head in the path of a carwheel flange, said pocket comprising front and rear leather walls secured together at their edges, there being an inlet for lubricant in the lower portion of the pocket and a portion of the upper edges of the walls being left-unconnected so as'to provide an outlet for the lubricant.

6. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism a yieldable pocket adapted to be positioned at the side of the rail-head in the path of a car wheel flange, said pocket comprising front and rear-leather walls secured together at their edges, there being an inlet for lubricant in the lower portion of the rear wall, and part of the upper edge of the front wall being cut away and unconnected with the rear wall so as to provide an outlet for the lubricant.

7. In ajwheel flange lubricating mechanism, the combination of a main reservoir for the lubricant, an auxiliary reservoir at the side of the rail-head, means actuated by a car wheel for feeding lubricant fromthe main reservoir to the auxiliary reservoir, and means actuated by the wheel flange for ejecting lubricant from the auxiliary reservoir onto the flange. i

8. In awheel flange lubricating mechanism, the combination of a mainreservoir for the lubricant, a plurality of auxiliary reservoirs spaced at longitudinal intervals at the side of the rail-head, means actuated'by a or" wheel for simultaneously feeding lllbll'r cant from the main reservoir to the several auxiliary reservoirs, and means actuated by the wheel flange for successively ejecting lubricant from the auxiliary reservoirs onto the wheel flange; v

9. In a wheel flange lubricating mechanism, the combination of a reservoir for the lubricant, a compressible pocket positioned at the side of the rail-head in the path of the 7 car wheel flan e and having an outlet through which lubricant is ejected onto the flange when the pocket is compressed by the flange, a conduit means sealed into the pocket for supporting the same, and means actuated by the car wheel for forcing lubricant from the reservoir through the conduit into the pocket.

10. In a wheel flange lubricatingvmechanism, the combination of a reservoir for the lubricant, a plurality of compressible pockets positioned at spaced intervals longitudinally of the rail at the'side of therail-head and in the path of a wheel flange, each pockethaving an outlet through which lubricant is ejected 7 onto the flange when the pocket is compressed by the flange, a conduit means having a pockets.

branch'sealed into each pocket for supporting the same, and means actuated by a car wheel for feedinglubricant from the reservoir through the conduit means into the v 11. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a distributing plate adapted to be secured between the rail-head and base flange of a rail, there being a series ofconduits for lubricant in the plate leading from an inlet to a'plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, and a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, one in communication with each outlet, each pocket being positioned in the path of the car wheel flange'and-having an outlet through which lubricant is ex pelled against/the inner face of the flange.

12. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism,

a distributing plate adapted to be sec'ured between the, rail-head and base flangeof arail, there being a series of conduits for lubricant in the plate leading from aninlet to a plurality' of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, and a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, one in communication with each outlet, each pocket comprising front and rear walls of flexible material joined at their-edges, a metallic ,thimble mounted in the outletof the distributing plate and anchored in the rear wall of the pocket so as to support the pocket and feed lubricant theretO, each pocket being positioned in the path of the car wheel flange and having an outlet in-theupper portion of the front wall through which the lubricant is expelled against the inner face of the flange.

13. In wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a distributing plate adapted to be secured between the rail-head and base flange of a rail, there being-aseries of conduits for the lubricant in the plate leading from an inlet to a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, and-a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, one in communication with each outlet, each pocket comprising front and rcar-walls'of flexible material joined at their edges, a metallic thimble mounted in the outlet of the distributing plate and anchored in the rear wall of the pocket so as to support the pocket and feed lubricant thereto, each pocket being positioned in the path of the c-arwheel flange and a portion of the upper edges of the walls being unconnected so as to provide an outlet through which lubricant is expelled against the inner face of the wheel flange.

14. in wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a distributing plate adapted to be secured between the rail-head and base flange of a rail, there being a series of conduits for the lubricant in the plate leading from an inlet to a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, and a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, one in communicationwith eachoutlet, each pocket being ositioned in the ath of the car wheel flan 'e and having an outlet through which lubri-' between the rail-head and base flange of a rail, there being a series of conduits for the lubricant in the plate leading from an inlet to a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, and a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, one in communication with each outlet, each pocket comprising front'and rear walls of flexible material joined at their edges, a metallic thimble mounted in the outlet of the distributing plate and anchored in the rear wall of the pocket so as to support the pocket and feed lubricant thereto, each pocket being positioned-in the path of the car wheel flange and having an outlet in the upper portion of the front wall through which the lubricant is expelled against the inner face of the flange, and a guard and wiper plate secured to the distributing plate and having portions cut away to accommodate the pockets, the upper portion of the guard plate being positioned against the side of the railhead and tapering upwardly and toward the inner surface of the wheel flange and function as a wiping means todistribute the lubricant.

16. In a wheel flange lubricating mechanism, a cast metal distributing plate with conduits formed therein leading from a central'inlet to a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, the plate being provided with upper and lower portions shaped to engage the railhead and base flange of the rail respectively, and a plurality of yieldable oil pockets carried by the plate, each pocket being positioned in the path of a car wheel flange and having an outlet through which the lubricant is expelled against the inner surface of the flange.

17. In a wheel flange oiling mechanism, a

cast metal distributing plate with conduits formed therein leading from a central inlet to a plurality of outlets spaced longitudinally of the plate, the plate being provided with upper and lower portions shaped to engage the railhe-ad and base flange of the rail respectively, and a plurality of yieldable pockets carried by the plate, each pocket comprising front and rear walls of flexible material joined at their edges, a metallic thimble mounted in the outlet of the distributing plate and anchored in the rear wall of the pocket so as to support the pocket and feed lubricant thereto, each pocket being positioned in the path of a car wheel flange and having an outlet in the upper portion of the front wall through which lubricant is eX- pelled against the inner surface of the flange.

' SIDNEY E. BATES.

EMMONS OVERMIER.

'rail so as to substantially conform to the 

